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Violent thug jailed

BURLY thug Ricky Irving-Chatfield is back behind bars for 18 months after admitting assaulting his fifth different partner.

The 33-year-old, who had only just completed a domestic violence course, caused the woman to briefly pass out when he again resorted to strangling his victim.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that Irving-Chatfield had known his latest partner for about 11 years.

They only started a relationship about a year ago with the 5ft 2ins mum and six footer moving in together last October.

Mr Meeke said things went well to start with but turned sour following a night out on Saturday, May 3 this year.

They had been out for lunch and then went shopping when she said he had been in an ‘edgy’ mood and ‘jolly, but a bit snappy’.

But when they were out in the evening he got jealous when she hugged a man she knew through her time in the Territorial Army.

“He seems to have taken umbrage, took her by the hand and said ‘We’re going now,’ and took her out,” Mr Meeke said. “In the small hours of the morning he said to her ‘You know what you did? You cheated on me.’ She said it wasn’t true.”

Shortly after he came at her again, jabbing his finger as he spoke and, in fear, she pushed him.

He then pushed her to the floor and punched her to the right eye saying ‘You’re lying, you cheated,’ which she again told him wasn’t true.

Irving-Chatfield then grabbed her hair and slammed her head against a wall, causing her to cough up some blood.

He then punched her three more times and put his hand round her throat and started to squeeze causing her to stop breathing for a few seconds and briefly black out.

Mr Meeke said there was then a pause in the violence as he told her she should phone the police.

“He ended up sitting down with that self pity often seen by people who abuse women.

“He said ‘You know I love you, you pushed me to it.’ He said he knew then that he was going to get into trouble.”

The violence then started again and he banged her head against the wall causing her to flee down the garden and call for help on her phone.

When the police arrived they found a note he had written for her saying ‘There is nothing I can say for my actions, I am so sorry. I know I will pay for this’.

He was jailed for three years in 2010 for assaulting the mother of his child, knocking her unconscious for 20 minutes after stamping on her head.

At that hearing the judge was told he had five previous convictions for assaulting three different former partners.

Martin Wiggins, defending, said his client realised he was facing a jail term for what he had done.

During the relationship he had not been violent but they were having money troubles, he had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and was not used to drinking.

Jailing him, Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “I am satisfied you acted out of jealousy. She was hugging a male friend and you accused her of cheating on you. This was a prolonged and vicious assault, it is so serious only an immediate prison sentence can be imposed.”